“Lucky to be alive” says Melrose Arch gunshot victim

Brandon Regenbaum, who was shot in the face following a foiled robbery at Melrose Arch on Easter Monday, said this week it was “a miracle” he had survived.

“I have been given a second chance,” said Regenbaum, 27, who was in an induced coma for more than a week following major surgery to repair his jaw which was struck by a bullet in the crossfire between security officers and robbers fleeing the scene.

Regenbaum and his girlfriend, Lorian Blechman, 25, were due to leave for a holiday at the coast on the day of the incident. They had met for an early breakfast. Soon after leaving Melrose Arch in separate vehicles, they found themselves unwittingly in the middle of a car chase between fleeing suspects who had attempted to rob Elegance Jewellers and the mall’s security guards in hot pursuit.

Regenbaum took a bullet, while Blechman witnessed the whole event and luckily escaped physical harm.

The SA Jewish Report caught up with Regenbaum this week on his first day back at work since the incident. “It’s a miracle that I’m alive. There are no words to describe how grateful I am to everyone from Hatzolah, the doctors who literally saved my life, my family, and the community whose support has been totally overwhelming,” he said.

The Johannesburg businessman said this incident had made him re-evaluate his life after he believed he wouldn’t make it.

“Generally, I’m not a religious man, but I could literally feel people’s prayers while I lay there in the intensive-care unit. It was beyond powerful,” he said.

He has taken to laying tefillin every day, and keeping Shabbos.

Regenbaum said he remembered the incident in vivid detail from the moment he and Blechman left Melrose Arch to being shot in his car, even the ambulance ride to the hospital.

“I remember Lorian calling me. I remember answering the phone and telling her, ‘I’ve been shot, I’ve been shot!’” he said.

Bleeding profusely, he remembers telling the paramedics from Hatzolah that he could get out of his car himself and climb onto the stretcher.

“I remember the drive in the ambulance. It all became a blur when I eventually made it to the emergency room. When I woke up, I couldn’t believe I was alive. I thought I was going to die.”

Regenbaum’s mouth is tightly wound together with elastic bands which he will be wearing for another five weeks. He is on a liquid diet, and as doctors loosen the elastic bands, he will be able to introduce solid foods slowly.

He said the bullet luckily missed his tongue and teeth.

His father, Clifford, who was with his son when he opened his eyes for the first time after doctors reduced his sedation, said there were “lots of tears. It was very emotional. There were flashbacks to the incident, but Brandon’s whole support crew was there.

“The whole family was around when he woke up. I just said to him, ‘I love you, my boy’. It was very moving.

“It’s unbelievable that he survived this incident and has experienced a miracle recovery. The emotional trauma will take longer to recover from than the physical trauma, but the couple is seeking trauma counselling. We are just so grateful to the entire community for the incredible support.”

Regenbaum said he and Blechman had been back to Melrose Arch, and had retraced their nightmare steps. Although the incident was extremely traumatic, the couple has vowed that it won’t stop them from living their lives.

When he visited his workplace for the first time, he could only wave to his colleagues and staff through the window of his car. “I didn’t want to strain my voice and my immune system has taken a knock, so I have been extra cautious about going back to work. This week, however, I was able to sit at my desk, and it felt like things were getting back to normal,” he said.

Regenbaum said he was “blown away” by the community’s support.

“Lorian and her family have been incredible throughout this ordeal. The community has pulled us through this. I cannot say thank you enough for all the calls, texts, and messages from people and rabbis that I didn’t even know,” he said.

Gauteng police spokesperson Kay Makhubele told the SA Jewish Report, “Police are investigating a case of attempted business robbery and attempted murder. It’s alleged that an unknown number of suspects driving in two cars, an Audi Q7 and a Ford Ranger, were in a shootout with security guards after they were intercepted before the business robbery.”

The case is being investigated by the serious and violent crime unit of the South African Police Services. No arrests have been made.